IT Specialist (Network)

Job Details

Qualifications & Requirements

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For the GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. To qualify for this position, all qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement-08/17/2026. EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skllls, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position. Specialized experience is defined as: hands on experience in configuring network infrastructure and providing Network support for enterprise data centers utilizing switches, routers, firewalls, load balancing, and LAN. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Position Overview

Join the Connectivity and Collaboration Service (CCS) under OIT and be part of VA's digital transformation. CCS designs and maintains world-class connectivity, collaboration, and support services with secure, redundant, and reliable connections across the enterprise. We deliver a delightful user experience, empowering internal and external VA customers, with robust offerings for video and web conferencing, telephony, secure messaging, and more, built on a resilient network infrastructure.

Duties

• OIT Mission: The mission of the Office of Information and Technology (OIT) is to collaborate with our business partners to create the best experience for all Veterans. OIT Vision: To become a world-class organization that provides a seamless, unified Veteran experience through the delivery of state-of-the-art technology. Major Duties: Upgrades the network operating system on a switch or router, configuring a switch and router to provide internal and external connectivity for a Data Center Prepares and reviews change requests through use of automated tools for all modifications to hardware and software within the network environment Plans and organizes network infrastructure device operating systems software, software change control, performance optimization, and hardware and security study projects. Designs, develops, tests, and maintains specialized support software to include utilities. Manages networks using Solarwinds / Orion monitoring and mapping tools; Configures High Availability within a Cisco NXOS Data Center environment Interprets best practice documentation developing the configuration files/scripts for implementation Brings together Layer 2 and Layer 3 network components to build a scalable highly available enterprise class network Installs, tests, and maintains network devices, and analyzes present and projected communication traffic volumes, to include system capacity, peak loading, and the overall effect an increase in traffic may have on network performance. Maps customer business requirements to applicable hardware standardizing Data Center networks throughout multiple facilities Writes and maintains system documentation for network infrastructure installed in the data centers Triages issues from access layer to the WAN and developing corrective action(s) and network down emergencies. Develops and maintains standards and procedures related to hardware/software architecture and network security matters Analyzes and implements security controls to secure a network and remediate vulnerabilities Position is Bargaining Unit eligible. Position Description/PD#: IT Specialist (Network)/PD06251A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Travel Required: Occasional travel may be required as needed for this position. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; Tour of duty will be determined based on organizational needs. Compressed/Flexible: As determined by the Agency Policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Physical Demands: The work Is sedentary. Working Conditions: The work is typically performed in the office or computer environment. Travel is occasional. Incumbent may be required to work irregular tours of duty including some weekend work. Promotion Potential: Position is at full performance level This position directly aligns with the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NIST SP 800-181r1), Work Role ID 441: Technical Support Specialist - Network Services. Incumbent is expected to complete tasks and demonstrate knowledge, skills, and abilities consistent with this work role.